Three GenerationsDrehobl Art Glass Co. is in its 3rd generation of operation. Chris Drehobl, the grandson of its founder Frank Drehobl Sr. and Rick Purro a long time employee of the company assumed ownership in 2005. The pair moved the studio to 5108 W. Irving Park Road to consolidate operations after 86 years at their original headquarters location at 2847 N. Lincoln Ave.

Frank Drehobl, Sr. shown in the center, flanked by two of his colleagues.

Frank Drehobl, Jr. and Robert Drehobl take the company into the second generation.

Our original Chicago neighborhood location:2847 N. Lincoln Ave.

A Rich historyFrank Drehobl Sr. and his brother Joseph started as Drehobl Bothers Art Glass Co. in 1919. Frank had been foreman of the glaziers at Flanagan and Biedenweg Co. where he began as an apprentice in 1906. One of the early commissions of Drehobl Brothers was making stained glass windows for Seeburg player pianos. The Drehobl Art Glass Co. was also one of a handful of companies making the geometric windows for the famed Chicago bungalows that were were being built all over Chicago and its suburbs in the 1920s and 30s.

By 1930 the depression had begun to take its toll on most of the stained glass company's in Chicago as well as the rest of the country. Drehobl Brothers Art Glass credits the commission for the stained glass windows it helped create with Todros Geller and Raymond Katz for Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago for getting the company through the depression. Soon after Drehobl received the commission a craftsman named Joseph Lazar from The Munich Studio showed up at Drehobl Brothers looking for work. Munich Studio had recently closed its doors due to the bad economic times. Frank Drehobl hired Joseph and told him to tell the other workers from his former company to come see him. Frank hired Max Guler (the founder of Munich Studio) along with designers/painters Peter Kuler, Herman Schulze and craftsmen Joseph Lazar and George Wieoeder. With Max Guler on staff as head designer Drehobl Brothers started making church windows in the Munich style. All of these men worked for the rest of their lives at Drehobl Brothers Art Glass Co.

Frank Drehobl Sr. passed away in 1954. His sons Frank Jr. and Robert took the company into its second generation continuing to make stained glass windows for churches, restaurants and homes. Drehobl Brothers Art Glass Co. moved into its 3rd generation when Patricia and Angela (daughters of Frank Jr.) and Bob and Chris (sons of Robert) came to work for the company.

Drehobl Art Glass Co. is the oldest stained glass studio in Chicago and is an important part of the history of stained glass in this city. With the thousands of windows we have created in bungalows and churches throughout Chicago and the country to the examples of our work in "The Chicago History Museum" and in "The Smith Museum of Stained Glass" on Navy Pier. The work of this company can be seen virtually around every corner in the city of Chicago.